Resilience of monolayer MoS<inf>2</inf> memtransistor under heavy ion irradiation

Due to its unique gate-tunable non-volatility, the memtransistor is a promising component for low-energy neuromorphic computing. The grain boundary- and point defect-enabled resistive switching in MoS2 memtransistors suggests an inherent ionizing radiation tolerance. However, the memtransistor resilience under heavy ion irradiation has not yet been investigated. In this work, polycrystalline, monolayer MoS2 films, and memtransistors are irradiated with 48 keV Au. Fluence-dependent effects on the MoS2 lattice structure, chemical states, and memtransistor performance metrics are elucidated. When the Au fluence remains below 1013 cm−2, the memtransistor functionalities are preserved. When the Au fluence exceeds 1014 cm−2, the MoS2 is amorphized and memtransistor functionalities are lost. According to Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy, the MoS2 defect concentration increases with increasing Au fluence. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy substantiates a significant S:Mo ratio reduction with increasing Au fluence. This work suggests that MoS2 memtransistors possess sufficient heavy ion resilience for few-year space missions. Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]